Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on August 9, 2022.
Plastics reduction and disposal is a hot topic in many industries, including ours. But because we need to move forward and find solutions, we recently surveyed our members to find out where they stand in their intentions and actions to eliminate plastic as we know it today.
The results speak for themselves! Here's what we've learned from you about the subject:
Key learning #1
There’s clearly a need for sustainable alternatives to plastics.
- 62% of Canadian food companies see an increase in requests for more sustainable alternatives.
Key learning #2
Finding solutions is a priority for most companies, and many are already turning this into action.
- It’s a corporate priority for 73% of our respondents and 65% are already working on it.
This is great news!
Key learning #3
Food companies are exploring a diversity of options.
- Alternative materials and compostable plastics are the top two options mentioned.
- It’s also interesting to see that plastic is not systematically pushed aside: 16% of respondents explored higher quality/more recyclable plastics instead of trying to replace it.
Could that be a more accessible, yet sustainable way to reduce plastics…?
Key learning #4
The main barrier to adopting solutions is money - either the existing solutions are too expensive or the companies don’t have the budget to invest in finding solutions.
The lack of solutions suitable for one’s products, equipment and/or needs, the lack of time to search for solutions, and the lack of knowledge around who can help are other important barriers, with all three scoring equally.
Key learning #5
Google and research centres (including academia) are companies’ best friends when it comes to finding info on plastics reduction.
- Suppliers and collaborators are also a good source of info.
And CFIN is now one to!
Finally, although the topic is quite new, several great resources already exist to support your work towards plastics reduction and elimination. The Canada Plastics Pact (CPP) is one of them. The non-for-profit organization and member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Global Plastics Pact network, “unites diverse leaders and experts in the national plastics value chain to collaborate and rethink the way we design, use, and reuse plastic packaging to realize a circular economy for plastic in Canada.”
Unfortunately, the CPP doesn’t seem to be on the radar for most Canadian food companies, with 79% of respondents saying they have never heard of it. For more on the CPP read CFIN’s article Explained: The Canada Plastics Pact.
Check out more coverage on plastics, including: Canada's Plastic Problem, and Auditing your Operations and Moving Towards a Circular Economy in Plastics, Part 1, and Part 2.
Here are a few more findings from CFIN's plastics survey:
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#circulareconomy
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#nonplasticpackaging
#recycling